FLOWER power triumphed over military might for veteran peace campaigner Anne Lee today.

The future safety of a patch of rare orchids was judged just as important as the security of a top-secret US spy base by magistrates in Harrogate.

And the 61-year-old peace protestor was given permission to carry on monitoring the progress of the threatened plants.

Lee, from Otley, appeared before court accused of criminal damage to the Ministry of Defence fence that protects the American-operated listening base at Menwith Hill.

She pleaded not guilty and the case was adjourned until July 22 with Lee being granted bail in the meantime.

But the magistrates agreed to vary a condition of her bail which stated she could not approach within 100 metres of the perimeter fence.

For Lee, a keen amateur botanist, discovered rare orchids, including spotted orchids and hybrids, on land at the north-west corner of the site 15 years ago.

She has since been monitoring the plants _ which are currently flowering _ and sending her records to botanist Prof Richard Bateman of the Natural History Museum.

One particular sub-species, which she needs to monitor every three days, grows close to the fence at a point where it has been realigned to avoid damaging the plants.

And Lee said she was prepared to give an undertaking to the court that she would not go to within ten yards of the perimeter fence in an area where there was a public footpath.

"The orchid reserve, on land which was once a reservoir, is close to the path," she said.

"But I would not need to go right up to the fence and ten yards away I can't do anything to the fence."

Presiding magistrate David Gravells varied Lee's bail to keep her 100 metres way from most of the security fence but allowing her within 10 metres in the area by the orchids.